SETimes.comTurkey announces new EU accession strategy
26/12/2006
Ankara will continue implementing EU required reforms, even in the areas covered by the eight frozen negotiating chapters, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday.
(Journal of Turkish Weekly - 26/12/06; Zaman, Dnevnik.bg, Turkish Daily News - 25/12/06; AFP - 22/12/06)
Turkey on Monday (December 25th) unveiled a new strategy for its EU bid. It said it would continue implementing all required reforms, including in areas where negotiations have been suspended.
"If the goal is to reach European standards, then we will do it ourselves without the EU asking for it," Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said.
The screening process has helped outline the reforms Turkey must implement before joining the Union, so there is no need to wait for instructions from Brussels, he added.
His statement came ten days after leaders of the 25-nation bloc decided to freeze membership talks with Ankara on eight of the 35 negotiating chapters, in response to Turkey's refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic from Cyprus.
The chapters -- free movement of goods, right of establishment and freedom to provide services, financial services, agriculture and rural development, fisheries, transport policy, customs union, and external relations -- will remain suspended until the European Commission (EC) has confirmed that Turkey has met its obligations under an expanded customs protocol signed in 2005.
The protocol expanded Turkey's customs union accord with the EU to all the bloc's members, including Cyprus. But Turkey subsequently has refused to allow Greek Cypriot vessels and planes access to its ports and airports, insisting instead that the EU should first move to end the economic isolation of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which only Ankara recognises.
A week after the end of the two-day EU summit on December 15th, the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU endorsed an invitation for Turkey to open talks on the enterprise and industrial policy chapter. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn had earlier suggested that Brussels could open talks with Ankara on three other chapters -- economic and monetary issues, financial control and education and culture.
Under the EU leaders' decision, however, no chapter can be closed provisionally until the EC has confirmed that Turkey has fully implemented its commitments with respect to the customs protocol.
Announcing its new strategy, Ankara vowed on Monday to continue implementing the needed reforms in all policy areas. Priority will be given to the measures required for the opening of chapters not affected by the partial suspension.
Last week, Gul reiterated his country's commitment to its bid to join the Union, pledging that "the reform process will continue as before" the EU leaders' decision.
"It is not possible for us to accept the EU acting in a way that is contrary to the core and spirit of our relations by hiding behind various excuses such as the Cyprus issue," the AFP quoted Gul as saying Friday. The government would not sulk or say "we are not with you anymore," nor was it planning to endanger Turkey's future, he added. "It is out of the question for us to abandon our struggle."